The petrol-electric Toyota RAV4 Hybrid has taken out the top award at Drive’s Car of the Year awards, marking the first time a hybrid vehicle has claimed the award.

In a unanimous decision, the RAV4 took out top spot out from a field of 89 vehicles, claiming the award ahead of runners-up the Tesla Model 3 and Toyota Supra.

The victory represents the future direction of automotive in Australia, with the family sized SUV fast becoming the popular vehicle of choice and hybrid and electric vehicles slowly becoming mainstream as consumers look to move to a more environmentally conscious mode of transport.

The RAV4 has been an extremely popular vehicle since its release in Australia and there is currently a six-month wait list for consumers to get their hands on the vehicle.

Unlike pure electric vehicles, the hybrid Toyota does not require to be charged to operate. The on-board battery pack is predominantly used to power the electric motor initially before the engine takes over.

According to Trent Nikolic, managing editor of Drive, the RAV4 represents everything consumers wanted in a hybrid vehicle, making it a stand-out choice for the award.

“The reason hybrid cars make so much sense for so many people is that they don’t feel weird to drive, and you don’t need to change the way you drive,” said Nikolic.

“The Toyota RAV4 used half as much fuel as other SUVs of the same size with no serious attempt to be a fuel miser behind the wheel.”

The judges also complimented the vehicle on its’ driving ability and drivers’ comfort, as well as the vehicles in-built advanced safety technology.

The RAV4 also took out the award for best Medium SUV in a good night for Toyota, who finished the night with five awards all up, including Best sports car under $100k (Toyota Supra), Best upper large SUV (Toyota Landcruiser) and Best medium car (Toyota Camry).

Other winners on the night included the Tesla Model 3, which won Best electric vehicle and the Ford Ranger, which edged out the Toyota Hi-Lux for Best dual-cab ute.

A full list of winners can be found here.

Original source: Caradvice | Toyota RAV4 hybrid wins drive car of the year

22 Nov 2019